As American culture tries its hand at celebrating during the holidays, it is no surprise that you just don’t fit in. You do not get stoned, drunk or high on anything. Their way of celebrating holds no place for you. You do not fit.
A social pariah, that is what you are to them.
“We have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4 NKJV).
You are not indulging in the big bashes of Babylon. You do not make salacious or edgy videos. You do not conform. By naming the Name of Christ, you stand apart. You realize how embarrassing and foolish Christians look when they try to blend their faith with worldly pleasure. But, if you are feeling culturally ostracized for sticking to your convictions, you should rejoice!
By naming the Name of Christ, you stand apart.
I will tell you why, by sharing with you a story from ancient Rome. A lonely guard stands outside a wealthy Patrician’s villa during a wild party. His master has retained him to protect the rich in their gluttonous, and licentious revelry.
As he stands guard, two worlds begin to collide. On one side, he hears the lewd laughter spilling out of the opulent garden. On the other side, he hears singing coming up from a grate in the street. Beneath his feet are the Christians in the catacombs, singing to the Lord.
He is being pulled by both the lewd laughter, and the hymns. The attraction to the laughter of the wealthy is easy to explain. It embodies his ambition to rise above his station and experience the pleasures of Rome.
The other pull is hard to explain. But it is equally powerful―and the pull is growing steadily more powerful.
By all accounts, the laughter from the party inside the villa should win this competition. Surely, wealth and gratification are preferred to the stench of city sewers, underground cemeteries, and a life spent in hiding.
But the singing has a wonderfully strange and growing influence on him. It speaks to the deepest part of him, but, he does not know why. How can the music of martyrs drown out the laughter of the rich and shameless? Can their joy expose the emptiness of revelry, and the fleeting glory of Rome?
How many nights has he stood on this very spot, passing the time by calculating his plans for becoming rich and powerful? But tonight, he is not counting the days, he is counting the cost.
He can do without the drunkenness and momentary pleasure, but he cannot live without the peace and joy that the music is promising.
Abandoning all for Christ, he marches to the grate in the street, dislodges the filthy and rusted ironworks, and steps down into the life that will never cease and will never fail him.
Remember, as you are surrounded by empty pleasure, why you began to follow Christ in the first place.
Remember the new world that is coming. Do not forget the prize! Remember the promise! Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
That Roman guard decided that the party cannot compare to the celebration. Why stake your life on a world that is coming apart, instead of the Kingdom that is coming together?
Today’s pleasure cannot compare to the joy of the Return of Christ.
This world’s thrills cannot compare to that day when we shall see Him, face to face! Nothing can compare to remaining true to Christ. That is why Paul said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!”
Will you be able to say with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Most of all remember this: That when you take that stand and bear the reproach you will win lost souls to Christ. Your very life becomes that music that makes men and woman want to leave all to serve the King of Kings.
Rejoice, if you feel culturally ostracized. It is proof that you have chosen Joy and Life instead of vanity and death!
Great word Mario !! I have struggled with sexual lust for years . Was saved an set free from its hold on me years ago, yet it keeps trying to destroy me and I’m tired of living in this state !! I know there is a unfathomable life in the Holy Spirit where I can be free yet I live in such a bla state . Reading , pushing ahead even though I’m socially uncomfortable, feeling alone and like I never fit in because I can never except my physical body and awkwardness! I’m so sick of hearing of all the freedom we have and the power and authority and love for others when I can’t even get comfortable around Gods people!! How do I fit in ? I don’t in world and I don’t in church, or so it feels!! After every church event , prayer meeting, heeling service , youth event, etc. I need to get out and even when there I want to run!! I get home I need to either eat or masturbate to sooth the souls anxiousness!! I love the Lord and so desire to see Him glorified and love telling others and talking about Him , it’s all I know !! I just want to be free to be free !! Oh well if anyone reads this please pray for me , I’m tired of reading words on a page and not living them out in life !! Blessings!!!
Thank you it will all be worth it in the end
so very true, standing fast and it will certainly worth it all when we see Jesus Christ face to face!
The Bible says, “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” God will help you if you submit to Him, He loves you completely. Then say, “NO” to Satan. Resist him and his evil and the habits you want to stop doing. Accept and love yourself, God does! He is your Heavenly Father, and you fit in to His world, His family! Perhaps a Christian counselor or pastor can help you, listen to you, pray and accept you. Do not give up, the God of Hope loves you so completely!!
Mario, thank you for your powerful message! It is ‘LIFE’ to all who hear. I want to respond to Christopher Fea’s comments above. GOD IS A GOD OF THE HEART, and he sees your struggles. The Lord says He is near to the broken hearted and saves those with a contrite heart. Many are the afflictions of the righteous BUT the Lord delivers him out of them all. Never quit believing in the Lord’s love and promises to you.
Hi Christopher,
Thank you for your honesty. You are not alone and do not give up! It is complicated and tangled, but the answer is Jesus. The Living Word of God fed on daily, and meditated upon, (thinking about what it says), and acted upon, will bring Life, Peace and truth. The Truth of the Living Word is what makes us free. I prayed for you, what Paul prayed for the church in Ephesians 1:17 through 2:16. Think of the amazing things Christ has done for us as Paul has set forth.
Christopher, darling of the Lord, have you looked into deliverance ministry? You still have to work out your struggles but a good deliverance counselor can help you through to your freedom.
Christopher, oh Chris, if you only knew just HOW MANY Christian men and youth struggle in trying to live for Christ and are especially susceptible in the area of sexual sin and lust! You my friend are not alone! Most men are VISUALLY stimulated and Satan knows this and takes full advantage. David said in Psalm 119:11, “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against you”. Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” ( Matthew 6:22-23 ).
So, what to do…
First, pray the evil spirits that are oppressing you be gone In Jesus’ name! These spirits are keeping you from enjoying church and other Christians. Each morning and night this must be done ( and anytime temptations come). Plead the blood of Christ to be a covering for you from head to foot!
Second, fill your heart and mind with The Word! Read… study… retreat to a quiet private place and read the Bible (start in John) and pour your heart out to the Lord!
Third, know that viewing porn and self sexual stimulation opens doors for demonic oppression. By doing these things you’re actually inviting these entities into your life! Repent and turn away from these practices. Ask Jesus for strength and He will give it! Be very careful about what you look at on the Internet or in a magazine.
Fourthly, if you fail, pick yourself up, ask the Lord for forgiveness, and press on! What Satan does is he gets us to sin, then he brings tremendous guilt and condemnation. Jesus loves us and never condemns us! He wants for you to be victorious in EVERY AREA of life and will help you be an overcomer! Let Him cleanse your heart and carry on. This is not license to sin… we don’t want to cheapen His grace… but we DO have an advocate with the Father, Jesus the righteous One (1 John 2:1).
I’ll keep you in prayer brother! Take heart… Jesus loves you and through His blood, and the word of your testimony, you WILL BE victorious! (Rev. 12:11).
Other comments here have stated that you are not alone. And that is true. I used to have the same issues but because of the Lord’s grace I came upon a book called “Goliath must fall” by Louie Giglio. In that book on page 23 is the foundation to the rest of the book. I will tell you that it says to worship Jesus. After that the various “Goliaths” begin to fade, their strongholds cannot remain in your life. Why? Because the Holy Spirit helps us in the worship, and it becomes joy to worship Jesus. The simple fact is, the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh (and vice versa). So when you are led by the Spirit you will not be a slave to the flesh. Indeed, the two cannot happen at the same time.
What do you say? “Do you expect me to worship all the time??” Ha – YES!
Jesus said: abide in me.
So if you are waiting around so the Lord to give you an answer, guess what, He already did. You just need to do it!
Peace… 🙂
As I read your post Christopher, I am struck by your hopeless over this besetting sin on your life. I have been in the Lord most of my life and I have found that I always have to go deeper to get to the root of deep issues in my life. When you say, you don’t belong, I wonder if you were conceived out of wedlock. It carries a tremendous shame that hinders ones ability to belong. I know, I struggled with the same lack of belonging. On my journey the Lord led me to look at generational iniquity as the key that resolves these struggles. There is hope. The cross is the answer. Masturbation is usually a form of self comfort, self love. It becomes a terrible habit – way of self soothing like a baby with a pacifier. Begin to seek the Lord to see what is the source of that need. Take Him to that place in your life and cry out for freedom. Everything is dealt with at the cross.
I was not born out of wedlock. I was born unwanted by my mother. A father who seemed to want to abuse me as early in my life as possible. He got his chance when I was 3yo and we moved out of the country for nearly a year. That was just the beginning. This is the root of my feeling I don’t belong. When I started school my anxiety was through the roof. The teacher had no idea what to do with me. I was either ignored or bullied all through school with a few exceptions. I changed churches months ago. For the first time I feel as if I’m accepted for who I am as opposed to what I do. (Even as I’ve had a few people accept me through the years, but I didn’t feel worthy.) It’s helping me to realize that God does accept and love me unconditionally. Such an amazing thing. I feel hopeful.
Remember it’s YOUR personal relationship with Jesus and Our Heavenly Father. How does one develop that relationship? Each of us has a different path. Try this when you feel anxious just quite the mind. It be hard at first, but remove all distractions. Maybe be some worship music in background. Eventually Holy Spirit and Jesus will speak to you. Develop that relationship with him. It will take time. Oh there is nothing wrong at looking at a female. It’s what is in you mind when you look at her. Out of LUST wanting to masturbate OR wow now she is a beautiful female then walk away without another thought. I be praying for you. Dennis 🙏🤓
Christopher, all of us will be tempted until we die, but when you accepted Christ, he broke the power of sin over your life. You are no longer a slave to sin. (a slave cannot say no to his master) but now through Christ you have the power to say no to sin. The enemy will tempt your flesh through what feels good to you. First you need to repent then in the name of Jesus renounce this spirit of perversion and break its power over your life. Yes, aloud with your mouth. Tell this spirit that you belong to Christ and that he has no power over your life. Stay away from places where you are weak to this temptation. When tempted talk to the Lord, worship, read the bible. You will for surely overcome. If you fail repent and do it again, but please don’t give up. The Holy Spirit will use your experience with this temptation to set other free form the same temptation(s). Rom 6:1-7
A graphic comparison of our current culture and everyone’s choice, each day, as we hope in Him and trust in Him by faith for deliverance, peace, and His glorious return. Behold, God, our Salvation
In the powerful name of Jesus and with the authority given, according to the Word, we bind every dark spirit trying to hold you captive. The spirits of rejection, insecurity, lust, and oppression must go because you are the son of the Most High God. You have been set free by the shed Blood of Jesus. Father, minister to Christopher’s soul and go straight to the source and pull the roots of every wound and stronghold. Loose Your Spirit to the depths of his inner most being. Free him to walk his walk in the confidence of knowing he is loved and highly favored. Thank you for breaking the chains of bondage. Thank you for freedom. He who the Son sets free is free indeed. All in the name of Jesus.
Hello Christopher, may I encourage you to go to Youtube and search for this
I Will Always Love You – Joe King, Graham Cooke
It will change your life, your image and your heart especially toward yourself.
God will always love you, it’s not about what you do or don’t do, it is who He is!
I am praying Christopher. God knows your pain. Keep fleeing immorality. Rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus when you desire to flee the fellowship of believers. That is not the Spirit of God producing that response.
Praying for you. You are not alone. What truly delivered and set me free was when I was in the Presence of the Most High, I began to bind and renounce all the things that I was in bondage to, all the sin I allowed in. Porn, images, lust etc…all the seeds of evil. These things manifested and came out of me. If you need assistance Robert Clancy is someone I came across on YouTube. He also has a website http://www.repentancerevival.com
I truly believe by the power and under the power of the Holy Spirit one can be set free by one’s own lips.
Brother Mario, I am so blessed by your ministry. You are the perfect balance on Flash Point. I’ve known of you for years but lost tract of you. I’m so excited about the Revival meetings you and your teams are doing. I’m praying in agreement for many souls being set free. My husband just died and I’m starting chemo next week. Ive done everything I know according to the Word, so I’m trusting God in this season of the finishing of my healing. Thank you for prayer. In respect, Donna
I will pray for you. Please get into a true body of Christ church. God gave us the church family to take care of one another. You will never be able to function in this world alone.
To Mr. Fea: Hoping the show of support will direct you to God.
His Word describes what life is like for one led by their flesh: self is dominated by the fleshly nature, loss of self-control, unable to stop undesirable behaviors.
This indicates that the spirit-man is NOT in charge.
Also, the soul (mind/will/emotions) seem to be dominating. Soul-man needs to be renewed TO the Word of God, submitted to the Word that makes free!
You are a born again spirit, you have a soul, you reside in a body of flesh. Reckoning your “self” dead to sin, you are alive now to the Anointed One & HIS Anointing.
God, in love to your soul DELIVERED it from the pit of corruption. Your soul IS delivered. You are in training and the flesh is now trying to rebel against your spirit.
Filling and feeding your spirit with the Word that makes free will be a course correction. The spirit-man will then have what is needed to command, “emotions, you are not the boss of me.” Or, “Mind, you are not the boss of me; you WILL think on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Also, “Will, you used to choose wrongly, no more, now we will be led by the Spirit of God.”
Chastising the mind/will/emotions is your first jurisdiction to rule & reign. You, born again spirit are equipped to overcome. Daily choosing to follow Christ, continually noticing where the thoughts stray from right thinking, making course corrections will be the life devoted to the LORD.
Self-control is actually a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. You yield to Him.
This is an ongoing powerful process as the anointing removes burdens & destroys all yokes.
God be magnified which takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants!!!!
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Thank you Mario! It is meaningless to compare the frivolity of the world with the reality of the glorious goodness of God!
Thanks for being truthful, transparent and sincere. I do not deny the struggle appears to all of us, tailor-made by our enemy. Something is off and then the light of the Holy Spirit brings a loving conviction with glorious, precious grace to repent. Alleluia, Abba Father gives us a choice life or death. Each time we resist the lusts (listed in Galatians 5:16-26) sinful nature dies and we get stronger in relationship with Abba Father and we are being transformed eternally. Our choice to receive Jesus Christ was our first step of walking led by Holy Spirit. Revelation 12:11 is the victorious life summed up. Meditate on the Blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimonies and do not love our lives to the death. I encourage you to join me and be inspired to full commitment to the call. As you read of the martyrs (Foxes book of Martyrs be inspired) Hebrews11:13-16. Abba Father chose us lively stones and He will build and fit us in as He desires according to our unique roles in the Body of Jesus Christ. We are one yet many expressions of God who is Love. Praying for you and our brothers and sisters worldwide as we enter into the Excellency and Holiness of King Yeshuah. Alleluia to the One who began the Good work and is Faithful to complete it. Maranatha
Praise the LORD!!! What else is there worth living for??? NOTHING…NO-THING compares to our Glorious KING of kings!!! Thank you, Mario for continuing to be a “front-line fighter” and one who continues to fan the flame for other warriors. We thank God for you, my brother. JESUS CHRIST BE GLORIFIED!
Hallelujah to our King of Kings. He is the only answer.
Very good stuff! We can enjoy God’s presence and love and eternal life now. Don’t listen to the devil’s lies. Walk through the storm, on top of the water, and with your eyes fixed on Christ, the author and finisher of your faith!
Powerful. Thank you, I needed this today.
Thank you Mario! No, I will not conform. And not getting the vaccine makes me even further ostracized. (I’ve had Covid and have antibodies, but that doesn’t seem to matter. This is obviously not about our health.) I’m pretty shocked by all the changes I’ve seen the past 2 years, but God remains the same. He is sooo faithful!!!
“It is proof that you have chosen Joy and Life instead of vanity and death!” Thank you for encouraging us, Mario.
Excellent Word to hold onto during this season. I feel more outside of the secular groups (like hiking) than I do my church group. The secular groups go on and on about senseless topics, whereas TRUE believers talk about things of substance. I can relate to how the Roman is feeling…
You can live yourself into right thinking but you can not think your self into right living, from an old soul.
Let’s continue to change and shift atmospheres, Merry Christmas 🎄we win, America will be saved.
Build the tents 🏕
Fill the stadiums 🏟
Your words always lift me up. Bless you.
The Joy of the Lord is my strength. I will joy in the God of my Salvation (Insert heart emoji here). Merry Christmas!
Peace and Joy can Only be found in JESUS CHRIST…Apart from the LORD—there is only emptiness and continually looking for something that one cannot ever find. “HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL—JESUS, MY LORD.”
Thank you everyone for your love and prayers and words of life !! I am continuing on and know that Christ in me is the hope of Glory !! Living Hope!! Merry Christmas and love to all
I encourage you Christopher to go to YouTube (for lack of a better place) and listen to this song. It is life changing.
Joe King – I Will Always Love You
Wow very convicting and powerful words Mario – Amenand Amen
I understand through your words the peace that passeth all understanding. Thank you Mario.
Flashpoint was really good tonight🎄
Merry Christmas to you Mario and your precious wife!
Merry Christmas and Joy to the world the Lord is with Us!
We must stay faithful and focus in such times….